Ngā Here - The Many Connections

James Beck

Over the years I’ve noticed that there are a lot of us who can see that our planet is a bit broken and that how we live as a people in Aotearoa is a bit broken too - and we’ve got some pretty big questions.

Questions about what the Bible might have to say about the way we live and care for creation. Questions about how we can deeply connect with the world around us and each other. Questions about why the church seems so useless when it comes to caring for God’s creation. And questions about how Māori and Pākehā can learn from each other, and grow together.

So if you’re keen - I’d love to invite you to come along on this crazy, beautiful, 6 part journey with me, Waiora Te Moni, and Dr Andrew Shepherd - as we head to a remote off-the-grid hut on the Banks Peninsula, hidden in native bush, surrounded by birds - to explore the Ngā Here - The Many Connections that exist between creation, the Bible and living in Aotearoa.

Ngā Here - The Many Connections is a project funded by Scripture Union and the Wilberforce Foundation. Produced by James Beck, with Creative Direction from the Revered Spanky Moore. Our Music was created by the wonderful Chris William - check him out on Spotify. Artwork by Tepene Marsden.

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Religion & SpiritualityReligion & Spirituality

Season 2

Haerenga Tuarua - Part 1 - Finding Our Place
Sep 14 2023
Haerenga Tuarua - Part 1 - Finding Our Place
E ngā maunga whakahī o te motu, tena rā tatou katoa, welcome to season two of Ngā Here.Now just to recap In our first season of Nga Here, I came up with this crazy plan. I was looking at the health of our planet and the wellbeing of the people who live in Aotearoa - and I had some pretty big questions. Questions about what our faith and what the Bible might have to say about the way that we live and about how we care for creation and each other. Questions about why the Church doesnt seem to be doing too much to care for God's creation, And questions about how Māori and Pākehā can learn from each other and grow together as we care for the whenua.So - last time I invited two strangers who were asking similar questions to come to Christchurch for a weekend - to head off the grid to the secluded hut on Banks Peninsula - hidden in the middle of beautiful native bush surrounded by birds… so we could fully immerse ourselves in Creation, to explore these big questions.Now what I didn’t expect was how many other people were also asking these same questions. So many people listened and got in touch to let me know that they had been wrestling with the same questions.And, after talking for hours and making season one of Ngā Here, we quickly realised that we had only just scratched the surface. I actually came away from our first weekend in the hut with a totally new perspective on how Christians should be caring for creation here in Aotearoa.Now that first kōrero was amazing - But I also left the hut with some new questions that I just haven’t been able to get out of my mind. Questions about how we can feel more connected to the places where we physically live when we are also living in an online, disconnected, concrete-covered world. Questions about how we should care for and respect the whenua - when the economic system we’re in seems to see it as something to be used and abused?  And as weird as this might sound… Questions about the difference between dirt and soil - and how so much of the stuff that we take for granted, might actually hold the key to living a truly abundant life here in Aotearoa.So with all these questions in mind - we decided to get the crew back together again! And to go back to the hut to continue the kōrero.So if you’re keen -  I’d love you to come on another crazy, beautiful, journey with us - as over 6 episodes we explore Ngā Here - the many connections that exist between Creation, the Bible and living in Aotearoa.So Nāu mai Haere Mai!Ngā Here - Many Connections is a project funded by The Wilberforce Foundation in partnership with Scripture Union. Produced by me, James Beck, with Creative Direction from the Revered Spanky Moore.  Our Music was created by the wonderful Chris Williams - check him out on Spotify. Don’t forget to listen to the whole 6 part series of Ngā Here.

Season 1

Other

Special Episode // Peter Harris Interviewed in the Hut
Feb 28 2024
Special Episode // Peter Harris Interviewed in the Hut
E ngā maunga whakahī o te motu, tena rā tatou katoa, Ko James Beck tēni I’m James Beck. And welcome to this one-off episode of Ngā Here.If you have listened to Ngā Here before, you will know that usually, I take a couple of people to some remote location, to discuss what the bible might have to say about the state of our planet, about living in a country which is working through the impacts of colonisation, and about how the church is called to respond to our aching world…If you haven't listened to Ngā Here before, then welcome… This episode is similar to the first couple of seasons because I took someone new up to the secluded hut hidden in native bush and surrounded by birds on Te Pataka o Rakaihoutū or Banks Peninsular… But it's a bit different because instead of walking through a passage of the bible, we get to hear a bit of the story of someone who has spent their life following Jesus into the gaps between Christianity and conservation. Peter Harris is the co-founder of A Rocha, a Christian environmental organisation.After working as an English teacher and then as an Anglican clergyman Peter and his wife Miranda moved to Portugal in 1983 to establish and run A Rocha’s first field study centre and bird observatory. In 1995 the work was given over to national leadership and they moved to France where together with national colleagues they oversaw the establishment of two other centres while travelling to resource the growing movement of Christians active in nature conservation. The A Rocha story is told in Peter’s first two books: Under the Bright Wings and Kingfisher’s Fire Follow Ngā Here on Instagram to stay in the loop.https://www.instagram.com/ngaaherethemanyconnections/